Have you ever wondered how astrologers magically predict that you’ll have a lucky week in love or suddenly feel like an over-caffeinated squirrel? What exactly goes into a horoscope? While astrologers consult a variety of celestial happenings to make their predictions, one major factor is planetary movement through the constellations—aka transits.

Understanding planetary transits and how they affect your sign can be a total game-changer. Each planet has its own unique vibe—Mars is all about action, Venus brings the love, and Mercury… well, Mercury loves to mess with our Wi-Fi and travel plans. When a planet is hanging out in your sign, you can tap into its energy and use it to your advantage.

What got me into studying planetary transits wasn’t just curiosity—it was pure, unfiltered survival.

This past winter for me was one word… Brutal. And no, that has nothing to do with astrology, but I’d still like to file a formal complaint with the universe. It was cold. Too damn cold. And long-like the never-ending variety of long. My energy always takes a dip in the winter, but this time, it was like I had been hit by a cosmic tranquilizer dart. For a solid month and a half, I was either sick, taking care of my sick kid, or lying on the couch in a state of Netflix-induced hibernation. Productivity? Motivation? Never heard of them.

And then, somewhere between naps and streaming binges, I decided to check my horoscope. And what did I see? Mars was retrograding. Interesting… Mars, the planet of energy and action, was apparently taking an extended coffee break—in my sign, Cancer. Translation? I was going to feel this energy drain a little extra.

And let me tell you—I did. It felt like the universe hit the pause button on my life. But thankfully, as I read further, I learned that Mars would be going direct in a few weeks, bringing back all that forward-moving, get-it-done energy.  I relaxed a little. Thank goodness. And guess what? I did get my energy back when it went direct. I started taking vitamins, bought a blender to make healthy veggie smoothies, and went for a run that week. And even better-by pure coincidence, the day Mars went direct was the day I finally launched this blog.  

The stars weren’t just influencing me—they were practically narrating my life.

And that, my friends, is why I’m diving deeper into planetary transits. Because whether we like it or not, the universe is always moving, always shifting—and sometimes, it’s the perfect excuse for why we’ve spent half the winter glued to our couches.

Science, Pseudoscience, and Me Sticking My Neck Out (Yet Again)

So, of course, I’m about to mix science and pseudoscience again—because apparently, I love putting myself in foot-in-mouth territory. It’s practically a hobby at this point. But it got me thinking: if planets really do influence our lives, how the heck is this happening?

Now, before any bonafide astronomers or physicists clutch their pearls, consider this your official warning: you may want to cover your ears (or better yet, just close this tab). Then again, considering the nature of this blog, I doubt there are too many physicists lurking in my audience anyway. So, let’s get weird.

Here’s my theory. I believe the reason why the stars, sun, and planets have an effect on our lives has everything to do with gravity and energy.

Gravity is that handy-dandy force that keeps everything in our solar system moving around the sun instead of flinging off into the abyss. The sun, being the big boss of our planetary neighborhood, has an insanely strong gravitational pull that keeps the planets in check. Check out Physics of the Universe for more on this.  It also pumps out massive amounts of thermal (heat) energy, which the planets either absorb or send back out into the universe like a cosmic game of hot potato.

But wait, there’s more! Some planets—like Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn—aren’t just passive energy sponges; they generate their own magnetic energy that radiates outward. And then there are the stars in our beloved constellations, which are basically giant balls of nuclear fusion, shining because of the crazy energetic processes happening inside them. (If you want a more official explanation, Cool Cosmos has one. But fair warning: I have a Sociology degree, not a Physics degree, so this is as deep as I’m going.)

All of this energy—solar, magnetic, nuclear—is just floating around out there, making the universe breathtakingly beautiful and, in my totally unscientific opinion, influencing us too.

Think about it: we’re walking around on a giant spinning rock, being held down by gravity, absorbing energy from our environment, and existing in a universe that’s literally bursting with unseen forces. So yeah, I believe we’re all connected to the energy of the universe in some way—whether science backs me up or not.

So to start off our exploration of this topic, here is a table with an overview of what each planet’s astrological energy represents in our lives- both forward motion, and retrograde motion (when it appears to move backwards in the sky due to differences in orbits):

Heavenly Body	Direct Energy	Retrograde Energy
Mercury	Communication, making plans, meetings, travel, thinking, technology	Rethinking, re-organizing, cancellation of plans
Venus	Aesthetics, beauty, harmony, love, wishful thinking	Realism, humanity (all aspects), arguments, dissonance
Moon	Emotions felt strongly	N/A
Mars	Energy, action, initiation of projects	Rest, patience, cessation of activity
Jupiter	Opportunities, luck, taking chances, travel, learning	Caution, letting opportunities pass you by, bad luck
Saturn	Hard work towards a goal, self-discipline, progress	Goofing off, no progress, reconsidering goals
Uranus	Innovation, sudden surprises	Routine, monotony
Neptune	Dreaming, creativity, art, insipiration	Letting go of dreams, logic, conventions
Pluto	Power, control, transformation of self	Following others’ leads, letting go, old habits

What do do with this information? Check out where the planets are hanging out right now. Maybe one, or more than one of these planets are transiting your sign. See if you notice this energy in your own life. The Planets Today has a great chart, but plenty of other sites can dish out that info too. Just remember to use your Sidereal Sun sign when checking if any planets are vibing in your sign— it makes a difference.

Of course, planetary influence isn’t just about what sign they’re in. There’s a whole cosmic soap opera playing out in your birth chart, including which houses these planets are chilling in—but we’ll get to that later. Up next, I’ll be diving into each major planetary player in our Solar System and exactly how they shake things up in your life. So stay tuned, and until then—goodbye, or should I say, may the stars be ever in your favor? ✨